


Sing Me a Smile

by OhCaptainMyCaptain



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bottom Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Insinuation of bottom!Steve, M/M, Making Love, Musical!Bucky, Nightmares, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-War, Protective Bucky Barnes, Recovery, Steve Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers Feels, insinuation of sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 01:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2604095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhCaptainMyCaptain/pseuds/OhCaptainMyCaptain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Sing me a smile, Buck."</em>
</p><p>Steve’s always liked Bucky’s voice. Raspy, gentle… On key, but by no means a thing to be heard on Broadway. Bucky’s always been one of those people who hums a tune while he works the hours away. It’s usually under his breath, and most people never seem to catch it, but it’s there.</p><p>Steve’s favourite is when Bucky sings along to “How Deep is the Ocean” by Irving Berlin, and the first time Bucky ever sings it to him is when Steve’s fifteen and holed up in his bedroom, sick as a mangy dog. Usually Steve can give him a smile no matter how bad the cold, but on this particular occasion, he keeps staring off and seems to be worse for the wear; one of those rare occasions where the shit cards he constantly seems to be dealt are finally dragging down his mood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sing Me a Smile

**Author's Note:**

> My [Tumblr](http://ohcaptainmycaptain1918.tumblr.com/) is basically a place for Stucky, Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans, Marvel, smut, or inappropriate humour - so if you feel like coming and hanging out with me, please do <3

_"Sing me a smile, Buck."_

Steve’s always liked Bucky’s voice. Raspy, gentle… On key, but by no means a thing to be heard on Broadway. Bucky’s always been one of those people who hums a tune while he works the hours away. It’s usually under his breath, and most people never seem to catch it, but it’s there.

Steve’s favourite is when Bucky sings along to “How Deep is the Ocean” by Irving Berlin, and the first time Bucky ever sings it to him is when Steve’s fifteen and holed up in his bedroom, sick as a mangy dog. Usually Steve can give him a smile no matter how bad the cold, but on this particular occasion, he keeps staring off and seems to be worse for the wear; one of those rare occasions where the shit cards he constantly seems to be dealt are finally dragging down his mood.

Bucky’s sitting around his room like he always does, trying to make conversation, but Steve ain’t giving him much to work with. Grasping at straws and about ready to try shaking Steve out of his pity party (half the battle is mental willpower; if Steve can’t keep a strong mind, he can’t keep a strong body, and it scares Bucky when Steve isn’t the one to insist that he’ll be alright because then it starts to feel like he really won’t be), Bucky glances over to him and asks, “If you won’t gimme nothing but a frown on that sorry mug of yers, how ‘bout I sing you a smile?”

And then he quietly and hastily sings his way through that Irving Berlin song, knowing it’s Steve’s favourite. He messes up the lyrics a few times and he falls flat on a few of the higher notes, but by halfway through the tune, he’s on his feet and making a spectacle of it. He starts dancing with an invisible partner all around the room, overdramatizing every facial expression. His plan works; Steve can’t help but break into a grin at Bucky’s ridiculousness… And his smile is as sweet as sugar.

As if by some miracle, Steve gets better again not long after that. From that day on, whenever he needs cheering up and they’re alone, he asks Bucky to sing him a smile.

* * *

Sarah Rogers is buried on an overcast afternoon, next to Joseph, after a long and arduous battle they knew she’d never win. Still, it seems surreal that she’s gone. There’s a hole carved out of Bucky’s heart as they walk back to Steve’s apartment - his and his mom’s, but not anymore. Steve will have to find somewhere else to live now, because there’s no way he’ll be able to make rent by himself. Bucky’s already spoken to his parents and is going to tell Steve that they’ll find a place together. Later. He’ll tell him later.

For now, he tells him that he’s with him until the end of the line, and Steve says nothing. He’s barely said anything all day, and he hasn’t cried. Bucky wishes he would. Instead, he does what he’s always done and smiles when he’s sad. And Bucky wishes he wouldn’t.

Because it doesn’t reach his eyes, and Steve’s eyes are so incredible when sparked bright with the warm rays of happiness. Anything less could be called a crime; shouldn’t be allowed within a ten mile radius of his best friend.

They sit, they eat, they think in silence, because eventually Bucky stops trying to get him to talk. Their place still smells like her. Sometimes, he thinks that when Steve’s glancing off again and taking in the sight of his ma’s belongings - knowing he’ll half to pack a lot of them up and either try selling them off or throwing them out - he’ll shed a tear.

He doesn’t. Steve’s the master at pushing down his pain so he never looks anything but the pinnacle of strength. But Bucky can see anyways, everything Steve would rather not show.

When he asks if Steve wants to take his ma’s bed that night, Steve says no and shuts her bedroom door. Bucky gets the feeling that this room will be the very last one emptied out, and Steve will prolong it for as long as possible. Bucky will be the one to help him face it when the time comes.

Steve chooses to sleep in his own bed, and though it’s small, he asks if Bucky would mind staying for a while, which works just fine because Bucky would’ve slept on the floor if he had to. He wouldn’t have left him alone for a second. They’re used to squeezing into one bed and making room for two bodies when there should only be one. It usually involves Steve having his back pressed tightly to Bucky’s chest. In the past, this was done for warmth, Steve’s health (and maybe a little because they’ve always secretly enjoyed it, too). Tonight, it’s done for comfort.

Steve still says nothing. Bucky tries not to touch him too much because Steve tends to like his space when he’s upset, all things considered. He does his best not to fall asleep - he wants to be there in case Steve decides he does need an ear - but after a couple hours, the warmth of Steve’s body and the weight of the day and the rhythmic sound of his breathing begins to pull Bucky under.

He’s about halfway there when Steve speaks to him.

"Sing me a smile, Buck…"

And his voice is quiet and broken. Bucky realizes Steve is shaking in his arms; a fissure in glass trying not to shatter. His eyes reopen and he stares at the back of golden hair sadly, before cuddling in closer and burying his face in the strands.

 _"How much do I love you? I’ll tell you no lie… How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?"_ Bucky sings in a whisper. _"How many times a day do I think of you? How many roses are sprinkled with dew?"_

The body against his inhales deeply and then releases the quietest, heaving sob. Bucky knows better than to stop and ask if he’s okay. It would’ve a stupid question anyways. So instead, he just keeps singing.

_"How far would I travel to be where you are? How far is the journey from here to a star? And if I ever lost you, how much would I cry? How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?"_

Steve’s tears are silent. He trembles and his breathing is rough and wet, but the pain welling up in his chest doesn’t make it past his throat. Bucky wishes he’d let himself hurt, if only to hurt _less_  down the road. But Steve’s not ready yet. So he sings until the song is done, and then goes back to silence… Letting Steve stare ahead and cry and hurt as much as he’ll allow himself for now, while Bucky keeps his grip tight and never lets go, kissing the back of his neck and golden hair.

* * *

Bucky has to leave for England in three hours. Leave for war, leave for battle. Death. He’ll also most likely be leaving for death.

He’s been out all night because the idea of going home to Steve hurts too much. But there comes a point where he knows he has to man up and do the right thing, and the right thing is giving the last few hours of his time to the one person who deserves it most… Who Bucky wants to spend it with the most.

Steve’s asleep on the couch when Bucky tip-toes into their apartment. He’s got his sketchbook half-fallen off his lap and his pencil still sticking out from a limp fist. Steve’s head is hanging forward; the poor boy sleeping right there from where he’d been drawing. Bucky knows this position. It’s the one Steve’s always dozed off in on the night’s he’s fought tooth and nail to stay up until the sun rose, if that meant waiting up on Bucky.

His heart hurts. He doesn’t want to say goodbye. Gingerly taking Steve’s things off his lap and placing them on the table, he gently wakes him up enough to get one arm slung over his shoulder so he can help steer a fatigue-induced Steve to his proper bed. Somewhere along the way, Steve begins to wake up and realizes that his best friend is actually there.

"Didn’t think you planned on showing your face ‘round here again ‘till the war was over," he mumbles sleepily, yawning and getting into his cot, only to sit up and lean with his back to the wall.

Bucky lowers himself down and takes a seat to his left. “Couldn’t leave without saying a proper goodbye to my best guy, now could I?”

"You drunk?"

"Not anymore, no."

Steve hums, pressing his lips into a line and looking down at his hands. There’s so much Bucky wants to say, and he knows Steve wants to say, too… Things they aren’t allowed to feel but that they’ve felt anyways… Promises they want to make that they don’t know if they can keep… Declarations and ‘I love you’s that would be meant differently than how they’ve always said it in the past, exchanged like vows.

Bucky doesn’t know if he can voice any of them. All he can think to repeat is, “I’ll be alright, Steve.”

"I know, Buck."

"You know the rules: I save the day, and you hold down the fort and keep yourself in one piece until I get back."

Steve snorts ruefully, still staring downwards. “You just wanna get the bragging rights and say _you_ won the war all by yourself,” he mutters jokingly. It hurts too much to laugh. All Bucky can attempt is a sad smile.

"We had a real good run, didn’t we?" he asks quietly, after a few moments of silence pass between them.

"Yeah… We did."

"I’m gonna be alright."

Steve takes his hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. Bucky suddenly feels like he’s about to cry. Steve must be able to sense it, because at that very moment, he peers over at Bucky, puts on his very best brave face, and says, “Sing me a smile, Buck.”

Chuckling, his eyes bleary, Bucky looks off and lowers his voice to sing those lines of “How Deep Is the Ocean” that he’s repeated countless times over the years. If not for Steve, Bucky might’ve grown tired of it by now. He begins the song clearly, with the faintest of smiles. The longer he goes, though, the stronger the words hit him, until he’s struggling; voice cracking and thick with tears he’s trying to swallow down.

Just when he feels like he can’t stay strong anymore, Steve turns his face and leans in, kissing him. When Bucky’s eyes close, a couple of those thick tears finally do fall; roll down his cheeks, leave stains in their wake - a trail of Bucky’s sorrow leading right to his heart. He kisses back and bites those lips and gets a good taste of them because he never has before and he never might again. He gets to know the feeling of Steve’s tongue against his and memorizes the way his body feels when Bucky coaxes him onto his back and Steve goes willingly. Then that body is learned from the inside, too; hot and welcoming and such a relief after so many years… But painful as well. Because it tries to hug Bucky to Steve in every possible way; like if it tried hard enough, it could keep him there.

When Bucky eventually comes, Steve strokes his hair and listens patiently while Bucky blurts out how in love he is with Steve; how he always has been, how he didn’t want to die without him knowing, how sorry he is that he waited so long. Steve just keeps repeating that Bucky will be alright - but more importantly, that he loves him right back.

But time is their enemy, and before he knows it, he has to go. Bucky makes sure the last face Steve sees on him is a brave one, armed with a smile (even if it may be forced). It’s hard not to wonder, though, as he walks further and further away from their building… trying to ignore the fear gnawing at him and attempting to claw its way into his heart… who will be there to sing Steve any more smiles while he’s gone.

* * *

Steve is bigger. Steve is different, but he’s still the same. His heart still breaks just as passionately as it always has, only now, he feels the need to hide his pain even more. He’s a vault, tightly locked. He gets shot at, and he takes it all. He loses a man and he takes it all. He willingly gathers up all the pain and fear his team feels and he takes it all - right on his shoulders, an invisible force that weighs him down a little more every day but that he’ll never let any of the others see.

Bucky sees it, though. Steve’s never been able to hide anything from him, whether 5’4” or 6’2”… Whether Captain America or that punk from Brooklyn. It makes Bucky angry sometimes; leads them to fighting. Bucky doesn’t want Steve to carry his anger or pain. That’s his to have, his burden. War is a scary thing, and yet Steve acts like he can fight it alone, despite all his talks about working together.

Bucky still sings him smiles, though. It’s the only way he can even be sure that Steve still trusts Bucky enough to give even that smallest part of him away. Only when they’re alone, which admittedly isn’t all that often. But if they’re on watch, or lying on cold dirt and staring up at a starless sky… If no one will hear them, Steve will break the silence by quietly muttering, “Sing me a smile, Buck.”

Bucky’s smiles are in short supply themselves these days, but he’s always been willing to spare them all for Steve. He never questions it, and he never says no. Just looks around quickly to make sure they’re alone and then sings the melody for Steve’s ears.

_"How much do I love you? I’ll tell you no lie… How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky? How many times a day do I think of you? How many roses are sprinkled with dew?"_

Steve always says thank you by sneaking him the quickest of kisses. Bucky savours them like pieces of silver. The gold is when he gets to make Steve smile.

Wars are best won when you don’t have to fight them alone.

* * *

Bucky’s not fully sure who he is anymore. Some days, he thinks he has an idea; others, it feels like a shot in the dark. Steve tries so hard, but without Bucky singing him smiles anymore, every upward curl of his mouth is forced, saddened.

He doesn’t want to hurt Steve, but somehow he knows he is. Bucky’s got so much hatred welling up in his heart. Most of it is directed at himself, but it tends to come out at Steve because that’s the easiest target. Bucky knows it isn’t right, but it’s messed up - he takes it out on Steve sometimes because he’s the one person Bucky trusts won’t ever leave him, even with all of his broken parts.

With time, he’s able to process his emotions better and exercise self-restraint. Steve helps him find healthier ways to express himself when it feels like the rage consumes him, and thanks to moving into the Avengers Tower with him, there are others who grow to be his friend and offer more solutions. Instead of snapping at Steve, he’ll wail on a punching bag. Instead of going silent for days on end after a bad nightmare, he’ll take a walk and then try getting out his thoughts on paper. He yells at Steve less and sees him smile more. Still a little sad, but more genuine than they’d been, and Bucky finds that he likes the way it looks on Steve.

Still, a part of him keeps his distance because something in him tells Bucky that they used to be so much closer, in a way he can’t describe, and this scares him. He can see it in the way Steve’s eyes soften whenever he looks at him, or how every touch from powerful, calloused fingers becomes surprisingly tender if Bucky needs the contact. The pieces are all there, but Bucky’s too much of a coward to see if they’ll fit together the way they feel they should, or if he’s just deluding himself.

He feels it most at night. When he lies awake, he can’t shake this engrained impulse that there should be a body pressed to his. Sometimes, he’ll touch his lips and feel the ghost of a kiss from decades’ past, wondering how it ever got there. But it’s when he hears Steve in the other room, disrupting the dead of night as he thrashes through his nightmares, that’s when Bucky feels it most.

Bucky isn’t certain whether or not the others know that Steve gets nightmares. Frequently. Almost every night, in fact. If they do, no one comments on it. They almost treat Steve like he’s unbreakable; the strongest person in the room. Bucky’s forgotten many things he doesn’t know if he’ll ever remember, but something he can’t seem to forget is how deceiving appearances can be… How Steve’s heart is one of the most fragile he’s ever seen underneath that misleading facade - as fragile as a smaller body he might’ve once had, back when he might’ve needed Bucky to help him through it.

Steve’s nightmares scare Bucky to death. They always sound so painful; the sounds, holding anguish that Steve’s conscious mind feels it can’t voice at any other time but when Steve’s alone. Bucky doesn’t know what exactly Steve dreams about, but if they’re anything like the things that plague HIS dreams, he can only imagine.

Bucky isn’t a deep sleeper anymore. Steve needs only to start moaning in distress once and Bucky’s eyes are flying open; his metal hand diving beneath his pillow and snatching up the blade he always keeps there. Moving fast but remaining as much in the shadows as possible, he’ll make his way to Steve’s room every night, ready to protect him if need be. Logically, he knows he can’t save Steve from what awaits him when he sleeps, but the knife is habit, and the sentiment is second-nature.

Steve always wakes up to the sound of Bucky opening the door. He’ll sit upright quickly and throw on his strongest voice. Yet it’ll still have the smallest shake when he wills his face to appear calm, as he looks to Bucky and insists, “It’s okay, I’m fine.”

Bucky knows he isn’t. He always feels like he should do something about that, but he isn’t sure what. Steve stares at him like he holds hope that Bucky will come sit beside him and keep him company for the rest of the night, but also with an acceptance that he won’t get what he wants. So he just chooses never to ask for it.

He always stands in the doorframe for a few silent minutes, staring from Steve to the floor and back again; hearing the fragments of something that might be a song in the back of his mind, but not knowing how it’s supposed to go. Every time this happens, he thinks he _should_  go to Steve. But then he just gives a small nod and mutters, “So you’re okay?”

No, Steve isn’t. Bucky doesn’t know why he bothers asking. But Steve always forces another of those half-hearted smiles that doesn’t reach his eyes and lies, “Yeah, Buck. Thank you.”

Liar. He’s a liar. But Bucky’s just as talented of one, because he acts like that’s good enough for him when he hastily says goodnight and heads back into his own room. He’d purposely moved his bed to the wall where he knows Steve’s is on the other side. Sometimes, he’ll stare and press his hand flush to it, wondering if Steve ever does the same thing. Always, he wishes he knew what to do so he could make Steve really smile.

* * *

It’s a few months later when Bucky wakes up again to the sound of Steve gritting out pained sounds from the other side of the wall. He’s gotten better at not reaching for his knife, though he still hides it under his pillow. It helps comfort him. Getting out of bed, he makes his way to Steve’s room and cracks open the door.

Steve doesn’t wake up like he normally does. Whatever’s got a hold on him this time has him pulled under deep; has him turning his head from side to side, fisting the blanket and gritting his teeth. Bucky can see the shine of tears on his cheeks, even from the other side of the room.

Something in him takes over when he sees Steve like this. It makes his heart break and his body feel panicked. So he can’t stay where he is this time, he has to go to him. He tries to be careful when he puts his hands on Steve’s biceps and gives him a little shake.

"Steve," he whispers quickly. "Hey, wake up. It’s just a dream, you’re fine. Steve. Steve, c’mon."

Big hands fly up and grab his arms in kind, but Steve’s grip is brutal and frightened. With a small cry, his eyes open and he stares up at Bucky in confusion. Bucky keeps his face calm and gives one nod.

"You’re alright. Just a bad dream."

Averting his eyes and looking away, Bucky watches the gears in Steve’s head spin, and he knows what’s happening. Steve realizes he just gave himself away, and now he’s trying to figure out how to back pedal; act like it wasn’t as bad as it clearly was.

That he doesn’t need Bucky in this moment like he so badly needs him.

Sure enough, Steve takes a few breaths and then says far too casually, “Thanks, Buck. I’ll be fine.”

"Bullshit," Bucky hears himself say automatically, "move over."

Steve looks surprised, and maybe a little tentative, but he does as he’s told, scooching to the side so Bucky can climb into his bed with him. Bucky has no idea what he’s doing, but it feels right. Instead of turning his back to Bucky, Steve pillows his head on his arm and faces him. So Bucky lies down so he can look at him, too.

"I’m fine," Steve says again.

"Stop."

"M’just saying, Bucky, you don’t have to—"

"Steve, just… _stop_."

Steve presses his lips into a tight line and casts his eyes down again. There it is, Steve fighting with everything he has not to show Bucky how badly he needs someone right now. Even with Bucky right there, offering the first sign of comfort he’s shown him in over seventy years, Steve won’t let himself take it. Because Bucky knows how much guilt Steve has over what Bucky has been through, even though he and everyone else keeps telling him it wasn’t his fault. Bucky’s the one person he _can_  get vulnerable with, and now, the one person he refuses to.

They say nothing. Bucky just stares; watches with a frown, the way Steve won’t look at him anymore as he tries to reign himself in and get control again. Before he knows what he’s doing, he slips the index finger of his right hand beneath Steve’s chin and tilts his face up. He wants to see Steve’s eyes. He wants to be able to tell him that he’s here for him, even if he doesn’t have all the right words.

The only thing he can think to do is quietly start humming. He does that for a while, and sees the shock and emotion fill the space in Steve’s eyes that’d just been guarded off.

When the words finally come to him, Bucky starts singing in a whisper, _“How much do I love you? I’ll tell you no lie… How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky? How many times a day do I think of you? How many roses are sprinkled with dew?”_

Steve’s bottom lip trembles, but he quickly presses his mouth back into a firm line to try and keep it down. His eyes are wet, and Bucky slides the tips of his fingers up Steve’s cheek until he cups the side of his face, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb.

 _"How far would I travel to be where you are? How far is the journey from here to a star?"_ Bucky’s brows furrow and he has to stop and think for a second for the next line. "Uh… Fuck…" He closes his eyes, searching hard. "Right, k… _And if I ever lost you, how much could I -_ no, wait, _how much WOULD I cry? How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?"_

Steve’s smiling now - big and bright and wobbly, as tears escape the corners of his eyes and drip onto the arm resting beneath his head. One slowly slides over the bridge of his nose, so Bucky gently wipes it away.

 _"How far would I travel to be where you are? How far is the journey from here to a star?"_ he keeps singing. _"And if I ever lost you, how much would I cry? How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?"_

He leans in slowly, glancing from Steve’s mouth back up to his eyes. _“How high is the sky…?”_

Their lips touch, eyes closing. Steve tastes like things he can’t remember yet but everything that feels like home. Fingers close around his flesh wrist and Steve holds him there, kissing back. He’s still smiling.

They stay that way for a while, kissing each other in silence. Sometimes they’ll part their lips, and Bucky realizes he remembers the way Steve’s tongue feels against his, or the the way short, blond strands of hair feel between his fingers. When he lies back and pulls Steve over top of him, he lets his hands explore and he realizes he remembers this body, too, and the way Steve sounds when he sighs out a moan, or Bucky’s name.

When they roll around and shed the other of their clothing, Bucky relearns what the inside of Steve’s body feels like, and they take it slow. Bucky keeps every kiss gentle - the curves of his shoulders, and the arch of his throat; the corners of his mouth, and the dip of his navel. Bucky kisses all of him, and Steve smiles through the whole thing… and when Bucky eventually comes, perfectly timed with Steve’s own climax, he breathes out ‘I love you’ in the same way he’d done the night before he shipped out and their lives changed forever. Decades later, and Steve’s still just as quick to say it back.

"I want you to be happy," Bucky says afterwards, a little more somber as he stares down at Steve; the two men coming down from their highs and trying to catch their breath.

"I am happy."

"No, you _weren’t_."

"I wasn’t, until the day I found you again," Steve clarifies. "I’m happy when I’m around you."

"I’m sorry it’s taken me this long. Seems I have a bad habit with you when it comes to not having the balls to tell you how I feel," Bucky says.

Steve’s huffs out a short chuckle, staring up at him lovingly. “Why is this the second time you’ve confessed that you love me where you feel an apology has to immediately follow?”

"Sorry."

"I’m not."

One corner of Bucky’s mouth curves up. “No?”

"No, I’m not. Doesn’t matter how far away from me you get, Buck… I’m always gonna be here waiting, no matter how long it takes."

Bucky kisses him again. “I’m still not the guy you wish I was, though,” he admits regretfully.

"You’re _exactly_ the guy I wish you were."

"I’ll never be the Bucky you grew up with…"

"Well, I’ll never be the Steve you grew up with again, either."

Bucky smirks, feeling relieved and grateful that he can still be what Steve wants, even now. “You sure?” he asks teasingly. “You still get stubborn as a mule like he did. Still don’t listen to a word I say when you know I’m right.”

"You mean, when you _think_  you’re right," Steve mutters, grinning when Bucky leans back in and kisses him yet again.

"Well I was right about this," Bucky says, kissing both corners of Steve’s smiling mouth to articulate his point. "Your smile’s as sweet as sugar. You should do it more often now; maybe all the time."

Steve wraps his arms around Bucky’s neck. He grins, and Bucky swears he’s never seen anything fit someone so perfectly.

"You gonna be there to sing them to me, then?" he jokes.

Bucky’s smile softens all the same. “As long as you’ll keep letting me,” he answers. “Though I might forget the words sometimes.”

"I’ll help you remember."

"And I might be off key sometimes."

"I don’t care."

"Voice ain’t what it used to be—"

"Bucky, shut up."

Steve pulls him down to kiss him properly. He repeats against his mouth, “Shut up,” before kissing him harder and running his hands down Bucky’s bare back and hips.

Bucky knows that when he makes love to him again shortly, Steve will probably STILL be smiling. He wouldn’t be surprised if Steve fell back asleep tonight with a smile and woke up with one, too.

Good… It suits him.


End file.
